Once survivors of domestic violence take the courageous step to leave their abuser, they face an uphill climb to self-sufficiency. Homelessness, trauma, debt, and few job skills can create unsurmountable hurdles to creating a new life—oftentimes leading them back to their abuser. That’s why JFCS...

When the JFCS Holocaust Center first received an old and tattered school notebook written in Polish and pulled from the ashes of Auschwitz, JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman suspected the power the mysterious volume contained as she turned each carefully penned page. Since the manuscript...

Healthy older adults are living longer in their own homes, but a sudden fall in the shower or an unforeseen diagnosis can thwart a senior’s best-laid plans to age independently. LGBTQ seniors, who often don’t have children or who may be single and living alone, are among those taking advantage o...

Ten minutes before Ma’ayan Epstein, 18, was due to give the speech at her high school graduation she got a call from Michelle Lamphere, Director of JFCS’ Financial Aid Center. “When I answered the phone Michelle said, ‘I have some information.’ I didn’t want bad news right before my spee...

For James, 7, making friends didn’t come easily. He had a hard time sitting still. He was impulsive and would often blurt things out in class. He had trouble starting conversations with his classmates and he struggled with sharing and taking turns on the playground equipment. Fortunately, James’...

Jewish identity is changing in America, and that’s especially true for many Bay Area Jews in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, some of whom are recent transplants with busy careers. So how are these millennials finding meaning in being Jewish today? JFCS has four different programs that answer this ve...

Depression, cognitive decline, and long-term illness are just some of the dangers associated with loneliness and social isolation for adults 65 and over. JFCS’ Senior Services Program, Seniors At Home, has collaborated with two innovative technology companies, Intuition Robotics and Lyft, to harne...

Have you read Rywka’s Diary: The Writings of a Jewish Girl from the Lodz Ghetto? Edited by Dr. Anita Friedman, it’s the astonishing, must-read diary of a 14-year-old Polish teenager who recounts life—and death—in one of the largest ghettos during World War II before she is deported to Au...